Manually operated submersible water filtration apparatuses, such as pool cleaners, many of which use suctional forces to clean bodies of water in need of periodic cleaning—such as swimming pools or spas—generally take the form of hand-held cleaning devices and/or extension pole driven cleaning devices. Both are fairly inexpensive and suitable for cleaning smaller sized bodies of water, such as swimming pools and spas. Other types of pool cleaning devices, such as self-propelled robotic pool cleaners, are often more appropriate for larger volume swimming pools and spas. Although very popular for use at residential pools, the manually driven pool and spa cleaners can have various limitations.
For example, some extension pole operated pool cleaners require a hose line connected to a pool's external filtration system to provide the suctional forces to clean the pool. These types of manually operated pool cleaners are not self-contained units. Often, such prior art devices also require installation of specially designed connector(s) to the pool's external pump at an additional expense. Users often become frustrated during use because the hose line is dragged around the pool during cleaning, which subjects it to being tangled and/or damaged.
Alternatively, some manually operated pool cleaner designs include on-board batteries to provide the necessary suction power to clean the pool or spa. The battery operated pool cleaners have the advantage of eliminating the need for the hose line from the pool's filtration system. However, these units can be prone to leaking, which can ruin the battery/motor and render the product inoperable. For example, the electrical contacts used to charge such units will often rust in the presence of only a slight amount of moisture. Also, the suctional flow at the inlet of the pool cleaner may be less powerful than the above-mentioned pool side filtration cleaners, especially when the battery power is running low. Moreover, the batteries will eventually require replacement or recharging. The longevity of operation of many prior art devices can be as little as thirty minutes before running out of battery power, which in many cases is insufficient for a user to clean larger sized pools.
Still other drawbacks can occur when changing or cleaning the filters of prior art pool cleaners. This task can be difficult and/or awkward, often requiring several steps, including: grabbing and pulling the hose line coupled to the cleaning unit and then opening the unit to access the filter. However, when the unit is open, the user can be splashed with dirty water and/or debris may be spilled back into the pool.
Additionally, swimming pools often contain both large debris such as leaves and small debris such as dirt, insects, and the like. Most pools therefore require a cleaner capable of filtering out various sizes of debris. Most cleaners of the prior art employ only a single filter. Depending on its size, a single filter can easily become clogged or blocked by large debris such as leaves. Filtration blockage can cause a loss of pressure downstream of filtration where the impeller or propeller (hereinafter collectively referred to as an “impeller”) is often located, which can result in a loss of suction and an inability to pick up debris. Similarly, for cleaners with the impeller before or upstream of filtration, the increase in back pressure will prevent flow across the impeller, which similarly causes a loss in suction at the inlet. Such blockages often require the user to remove the blockages by changing or cleaning out the filter during the middle of the cleaning process, which can be time consuming. Additionally, blockages can cause undesirable strain on the motor, which can shorten the lifespan of the cleaner.
It is therefore desirable for a pool cleaner to allow for a quick and easy setup without the need to connect any hoses, as well as maintain the capability to clean the pool surface swiftly under the guidance of the user. It is also an objective of the present invention to have a filter chamber that is easy to remove and clean without the risk of the user getting wet or dirty from the debris collected.
A further objective is to incorporate a design feature that applies fluid dynamics principles to reduce the flow resistance on the impeller and therefore reduce current draw from the power source (e.g., the on-board battery). This will increase the runtime of the battery.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a submersible water filtration apparatus that is capable of housing multiple interchangeable filters simultaneously so that the user can select from a set of differently configured filters. Certain filters may be best suited for cleaning an entire pool in one continuous process, depending on the types of debris commonly found in a given body of water. Accordingly, the user is provided with a wide selection of filters to use. Each is designed for particular types of debris so that no matter what debris is in the body of water, the body of water can be cleaned with ease.